One of the problems I find when researching Scotland internationals is that quite often their details don't match previously published material. Sometimes this means a birth is a year out, a Mac becomes a Mc, but occasionally a name changes completely. One such case was resolved this week when I was looking for the background to Tommy McInally, a Celtic star forward of the 1920s who also had spells at Third Lanark, Sunderland and a few other clubs. He won two caps in 1926, against Ireland and Wales. Known as a maverick who delighted the fans, he died of alcoholism on 29 December 1955. There were obituaries in the press, and an inscription on his grave at St Conval's Cemetery in Barrhead. But if you check the death registers, Thomas Bruce McInally, as the reference books call him, is nowhere to be seen. However, there was indeed a McInally who died that day, but his first name was Bernard. Death certificates give the names of parents, and from there it was simple enough to find the birth certificate of Bernard McInally, born in Main Street, Barrhead on 18 December 1899 to Francis McInally and Anne (maiden name Slaven). By the time of the 1901 census the boy was recorded as Thomas, the youngest of eight children including his older brother Arthur, who also went on to play for Celtic. And, for whatever reasons, he was known throughout his life as Tommy until that final note of his death reverted to his 'official' name.

I'm currently doing a lot of research into early Scotland international footballers, and have invested in a membership of ancestry.com as well as using a variety of other online sources. It's a long slog, following clues and cross-checking details, but I'm making good progress. Every now and then I find something that really stands out, and I was particularly taken by the above census return from a household in Liverpool in 1891. Staying with a Mrs Hughes, a widow, at 26 Coniston Street are six young men, all from Scotland, and all described as 'labourers'. But that masks their true vocation: they are all players for Everton Football Club, who would win the Football League championship in 1890/91; three of them were good enough to play for Scotland. The players are Duncan McLean, Daniel Doyle, James A McMillan (the three internationalists), Daniel Kirkwood, Alexander Brady and Patrick Gordon. Dan Doyle is perhaps the most famous of them, as after he captained Everton that season to their league title, he moved to Celtic where he won a further four league championships and nine Scotland caps. More satisfying for me was that this entry led me to other genealogical records which enabled me to pinpoint McLean and McMillan, two Scotland players who had previously been utterly elusive. Duncan McLean was born on 20 January 1868 in Renton, and died there on 17 November 1941. James Andrew McMillan was born in Bonhill on 11 April 1869, and died in Bootle on 20 February 1937. A similar discovery in the city of Liverpool which helped my research was from 1911. Two young Scots, described helpfully as professional footballers with Liverpool FC, are boarding with a tobacconist called William P Dunlop in Walton Breck Road, right outside Anfield. The players are John McConnell and Donald McKinley, and while the former returned north after two seasons, the latter became a Liverpool legend staying for almost two decades, winning two Scotland caps into the bargain. What makes the entry really interesting, however, is the tobacconist. William Dunlop had also played for Scotland during a great Liverpool career, having joined the club in 1894 following spells with various Scottish clubs including Kilmarnock and Abercorn. His age (37) and middle initial (P) did not fit with the usual identification of him as born in 1871 with a middle name of Theodore. A bit of investigation confirmed that he was actually William Peden Dunlop, born in Hurlford on 11 August 1874. He died in Stanhope, County Durham, on 28 November 1941.

At a time of discussion about the future shape of league football in Scotland, and even the possibility of a pyramid to open up the lower reaches to ambitious smaller clubs, I was delighted to come across some vintage material relating to Helensburgh FC.

This douce west coast resort once hosted a league team, when the Scottish League tried on a previous occasion to expand its reach. For three seasons in the mid 1920s, there were three full divisions in the League, with an extraordinary total of 56 clubs. Among them was Helensburgh, who actually won Division Three in its final season, 1925/26, before financial imperatives saw the end of the experiment. They played at Ardencaple Park in the town, and thanks to the Helensburgh Heritage Trust's photo archive this rare image of the football ground can be seen here along with a host of other local sporting photos. The Heritage Trust also has a good history of the football club in pdf format at this link.

As websites go, this is an excellent example of how Scottish sporting heritage can be preserved and presented, as an integral part of a town's essent history.

NB for regular followers of this blog, apologies for the lack of recent postings. I've been victim of a rather painful back strain which has severely limited my computer time!